So if an A is 440hz, why does a piano playing an A sound different than a violin, a guitar, or someone’s voice making that same A 440 note? It’s obvious that the pitch is the same on each instrument but each instrument has a distinct sound. I’ve never heard an A on a piano and thought, is that a piano or a cello. Why can we distinguish between instruments?
In: 151
They are also made with different materials, and expressed differently. A guitar string is a plucked or strummed metal/nylon string. A piano is a little hammer hitting multiple tuned strings. A cello/violin is often used with a bow, which changes the sound. And we’re not even touching on synthesizers, tuned drums, brass/woodwind and the tons of other ways a single note can be created.
Basically, a note is just a pitch, there can be millions of sounds that can make that same note.
Even on a single guitar, you could play a single note on multiple different places on a guitar, and it will sound different in each spot. Tension of the strings, how you manipulate the string/fretboard (vibrato) and how you pick/strum the string, all make a difference.
Latest Answers